About

When Gielen started confronting orchestras and audiences with Performances of Beethoven that took the composer’s metronome markings literally, he was met with displeasure and incomprehension on all sides. The prevailing opinion was that there was something wrong with Beethoven’s metronome (or else with the conductor who took the figures seriously). But Gielen refuses to see why Fate necessarily has to knock at the door slowly (in the Fifth). “Why can’t it knock rapidly? After all, Fate is impatient.” And a gigantic movement like the Allegro con brio of the “Eroica” is incomprehensible except at the fast tempo Beethoven asks for.

Reviews

March 2013

“they are in every way worth hearing. Whilst there is nothing flashy or of novelty for its own sake about these performances they are imaginative, coherent and well considered. Internal balance is superbly well controlled so that the listener is constantly amazed at just how much they have missed in other performances...All in all this is a set impressive for its understanding, honesty and conviction”